Hanger combination for displaying merchandise

ABSTRACT

A hanger combination useful for the display of merchandise items has a base plate and a hanger rail. The hanger rail is attached to the base plate such that the hanger rail can be alternatively moved between a retracted hanger rail position wherein the hanger rail is proximal to the base plate and an extended hanger rail position wherein the hanger rail is spaced apart from the base plate.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/075,855, filed Feb. 11, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No.6,______), which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/011,223, filed Dec. 5, 2001 (now abandoned).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to hanger combinations and, morespecifically, to hanger combinations suitable for displayingmerchandise.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The mass marketing of small merchandise items requires efficientsystems for displaying the merchandise items at retail establishments.One very popular system for displaying merchandise items is to hang themerchandise items on horizontal display rods as illustrated in FIG. 1 ofthis application. To accomplish this, the distributor of the merchandiseitems frequently attaches a display hanger mechanism to each item ofmerchandise so that each item of merchandise can be immediately affixedto horizontal display rods at resale establishments. In the prior art,such display hanger mechanisms are one-piece units as illustrated inFIG. 1.

[0004] The problem with the use of such one-piece display hangermechanisms is that they project outwardly beyond the perimeter of themerchandise item to which they are attached. This makes it very awkwardto pack and ship the merchandise items and adds considerably to theexpense of packing and shipping the merchandise items.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device for hangingmerchandise at a retail establishment which avoids these problems in theprior art.

SUMMARY

[0006] The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a hangercombination suitable for displaying merchandise items. The hangercombination comprises (a) a base plate for fastening to the back of anitem of merchandise, and (b) a hanger rail slidably attached to the baseplate such that the hanger rail can be alternatively moved between afirst hanger rail position wherein the hanger rail is proximal to thebase plate and a second hanger rail position wherein the hanger rail isspaced apart from the base plate by a distance of at least about ½ inch.

DRAWINGS

[0007] These features, aspects and advantages of the present inventionwill become better understood with regard to the following description,appended claims and accompanying figures where:

[0008]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an item of merchandise hung fromdisplay hanger rails using a display hanger mechanism of the prior art;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a hanger combination having features ofthe invention, the hanger rail combination having a hanger rail which isshown in a retracted hanger rail position;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a second plan view of the hanger combination illustratedin FIG. 2, the hanger rail being shown in an extended hanger railposition; and

[0011]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the hanger railcombination illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line 4-4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment ofthe invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussionshould not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to thoseparticular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognizenumerous other embodiments as well.

[0013] The invention is a hanger combination 10 comprising a base plate12 and a hanger rail 14. The hanger combination 10 is illustrated inFIGS. 2-4. In the embodiment illustrated in these drawings, the baseplate 12 is an elongate strip having an upper edge 13, a lower edge 17and a pair of opposed ends 16. The base plate 12 typically has a hole 18at each of the opposed ends 16 to allow for a nail, screw or otherfastening means to be disposed through each hole 16 to facilitate theattachment of the base plate 12 to an item of merchandise 20, such as toa picture frame 22, as illustrated in the drawings.

[0014] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the base plate 12further comprises a pair of base plate indentations 24, the purpose ofwhich will be explained below.

[0015] The base plate 12 can be made from a lightweight metal. Othermaterials, such as suitable plastic materials, can also be used.

[0016] The base plate 12 preferably is sculpted across its upper edge 13between the pair of base plate indentations 24 as illustrated in FIG. 2.Such sculpting of the upper edge 13 provides a base plate centralhorizontal depression 25 sandwiched on opposite sides by a pair of baseplate raised portions 27. The purpose of such sculpting is discussedbelow.

[0017] The base plate 12 preferably also defines a central elongateaperture 29. In FIG. 2, the central elongate aperture 29 is shown ashaving a rectangular shape. Other elongate shapes can also be used.Typically, the length of the central elongate aperture 29 is betweenabout ½ inch and about 1½ inches. The central elongate aperture 29provides an open area wherein the end user can install a picture framehanger bar 31 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0018] The hanger rail 14 is typically generally linear as illustratedin the drawings. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, thehanger rail 14 has a pair of spaced apart connection member indentations26 suitable for retaining the hanger rail 14 on a pair of generallyhorizontal display rods 28 as illustrated in FIG. 1. In embodimentshaving a pair of base plate raised portions 27, each connection memberindentations 26 is adapted to nest within one of the base plate raisedportions 27.

[0019] The hanger rail 14 is attached to the base plate 12 such that thehanger rail 14 can be alternatively moved between a retracted hangerrail position wherein the hanger rail 14 is proximal to the base plate12 and an extended hanger rail position wherein the hanger rail 14 isspaced apart from the base plate 12 by a distance of at least about ½inch. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, this is achieved byproviding a pair of opposed base plate attachment members 30, each ofthe base plate attachment members 30 being connected to one of the twoends of the hanger rail 14. The two base plate attachment members 30 areeach slidably disposed within one of the two base plate indentations 24as illustrated in the drawings.

[0020] In one typical embodiment, the hanger rail 14 and the base plateattachment members 30 are made from a single continuous length oflightweight metal having a generally circular cross-section. However,many other materials, forms and shapes can also be used in theinvention.

[0021] Typically, the hanger rail 14 in the extended hanger railposition is spaced apart from the base plate 12 by a distance of atleast about 1 inch and, in some embodiments, by a distance of about 1¼inches, 1½ inches or 2 inches.

[0022] In a typical embodiment, the length of the hanger rail 14 isbetween about 3 inches and about 3½ inches, but hanger combinations 10of larger and smaller sizes can also be constructed using the same basicconcept of the invention as illustrated herein. Similarly, it is typicalthat the distance between the pair of spaced apart connection memberindentations 24 be between about 1½ inches and about 2 inches, but wideror narrower dimensions can also be used.

[0023] In operation, the hanger combination 10 is conveniently used toship and display a plurality of similarly sized merchandise items 20 bythe steps described as follows. First, a hanger combination 10 asdescribed above is attached to each item of merchandise 20. The item ofmerchandise 20 can be a stand-alone picture frame, an item ofmass-produced artwork disposed within a picture frame or a mirrordisposed within a frame.

[0024] Each hanger combination 10 is attached to an item of merchandise20, such that, when the hanger rail 14 is in the retracted hanger railposition, the hanger rail 14 is disposed within the perimeter 32 of theitem of merchandise 20.

[0025] After a hanger combination 10 is attached to each of the items ofmerchandise 20, each of the hanger rails 14 is moved to the retractedhanger rail position, thereby positioning each of the hanger rails 14within the perimeter 32 of its item of merchandise 20. When this isdone, the plurality of merchandise items 20 can be disposed within asingle container with minimum effort (since no portion of the hangercombination 10 protrudes outside of the perimeter 32 of any single itemof merchandise 20).

[0026] After the merchandise 20 is packed within a single container, themerchandise 20 is shipped to a retail establishment. At the retailestablishment, at least one of the merchandise items 20 can be removedfrom the container and displayed at the retail establishment. This isconveniently done by moving the hanger rail 14 on a merchandise item 20to be displayed to the extended hanger rail position and hanging themerchandise 20 over generally horizontal rods 28 projecting from asurface within the retail establishment. In a typical embodiment, thehorizontal rods 28 nest within corresponding connection memberindentations 26 in the hanger rail 14.

[0027] Where the hanger combination 10 is of the embodiment illustratedin the drawings, the end user can easily and conveniently hang the itemof merchandise 20 on a vertical surface without removing the hangercombination 10. The end user first lowers the hanger rail 14 intoabutment with the upper edge 13 of the base plate 12 until theconnection member indentations 26 nest within the pair of base plateraised portions 27. This fully reduces the height of the hanger rail 14to well within the outside perimeter 32 of the merchandise item 20.Next, the end user installs a picture frame hanger bar 31 within thecentral elongate aperture 29 within the base plate 12. After this isaccomplished, the end user conveniently hangs the merchandise item 20 ona projection disposed from a desired vertical surface, using the pictureframe hanger bar 31.

[0028] Thus, the use of the invention markedly decreases the difficultyand expense of shipping multiple items of merchandise ready forimmediate display at a retail establishment.

[0029] Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent thatnumerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted towithout departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instantinvention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hanger combination suitable for displayingmerchandise, the hanger combination comprising: (a) a base plate forfastening to the back of an item of merchandise; and (b) a hanger railhaving at least one connection member indentation, the hanger railslidably attached to the base plate such that the hanger rail can bealternatively moved between a retracted hanger rail position wherein thehanger rail is proximal to the base plate and an extended hanger railposition wherein the hanger rail is spaced apart from the base plate bya distance of at least about ½ inch.
 2. The hanger combination of claim1 wherein the hanger rail in the extended hanger rail position is spacedapart from the base plate by a distance of at least about 1½ inch. 3.The hanger combination of claim 1 wherein the base plate has one or moreholes therethrough for fastening the base plate to the back of an itemof merchandise.
 4. The hanger combination of claim 1 wherein the baseplate comprises an elongate strip having a pair of opposed ends andwherein a hole is disposed through the elongate strip at each of theopposed ends.
 5. The hanger combination of claim 1 wherein the hangerrail is generally linear.
 6. The hanger combination of claim 5 whereinthe length of the hanger rail is between about 3 inches and about 3½inches.
 7. The hanger combination of claim 1 wherein the hanger rail hasa pair of spaced apart connection member indentations.
 8. The hangercombination of claim 7 wherein the pair of spaced apart connectionmember indentations are spaced apart by a distance between about 1½inches and about 2 inches.
 9. The hanger combination of claim 1 whereinthe hanger rail is attached to the base plate by a pair of opposed baseplate attachment members, each of the base plate attachment membersbeing slidably attached to the base plate.
 10. The hanger combination ofclaim 9 wherein the base plate comprises a pair of base plateindentations, each base plate indentation slidably retaining one of thebase plate attachment members.
 11. The hanger combination of claim 1wherein the hanger combination is attached to the back of an item ofmerchandise.
 12. The hanger combination of claim 11 wherein the item ofmerchandise comprises a picutre frame.
 13. The method of claim 1 whereinthe merchandise item comprises artwork disposed within a picture frame.14. The method of claim 1 wherein the merchandise item comprises amirror disposed within a frame.
 15. The hanger combination of claim 7wherein the base plate has an upper edge and a lower edge, and whereinthe upper edge is sculpted to have a base plate horizontal depressionsandwiched between a pair of base plate raised portions, each base plateraised portion being adapted to nest within one of the connection memberindentations.
 16. The hanger combination of claim 1 wherein the baseplate defines a central elongate aperture.
 17. A method of shipping anddisplaying a plurality of merchandise items each having a merchandiseperimeter, the method comprising the steps of: (a) attaching to the backof each merchandise item to a hanger combination comprising: (i) a baseplate for fastening to the back of an item of merchandise; and (ii) ahanger rail having at least one connection member indentation slidablyattached to the base plate such that the hanger rail can bealternatively moved between a retracted hanger rail position wherein thehanger rail is proximal to the base plate and an extended hanger railposition wherein the hanger rail is spaced apart from the base plate bya distance of at least about ½ inch; the hanger rail combinations beingattached to each merchandise item, such that, in the retracted hangerrail position, the hanger rail is disposed within the perimeter of themerchandise item; (b) moving the hanger rail on each hanger combinationto the retracted hanger rail position; (c) packing the plurality ofmerchandise items in a single container; (d) shipping the container to aretail establishment; (e) removing merchandise items from the containerat the retail establishment; (f) moving the hanger rail on at least onechosen merchandise item from the retracted hanger rail position to theextended hanger rail position; and (g) hanging the at least one chosenmerchandise item at the retail establishment by disposing the hangerrail over one or more generally horizontal rods projecting from asurface within the retail establishment.
 18. The method of claim 17wherein the merchandise item comprises a picture frame.
 19. The methodof claim 17 wherein the merchandise item comprises artwork disposedwithin a frame.
 20. The method of claim 17 wherein the merchandise itemcomprises a mirror disposed within a frame.
 20. The method of claim 17wherein the hanger rail is generally linear and has a pair of spacedapart connection member indentations.
 21. The method of claim 17 whereinthe hanger rail is attached to the base plate by a pair of opposed baseplate attachment members, each of the base plate attachment membersbeing slidably attached to the base plate.
 22. The hanger combination ofclaim 17 wherein the hanger rail is generally linear and the base platecomprises a pair of base plate indentations, each base plate indentationslidably retaining one of the base plate attachment members.
 23. Thehanger combination of claim 21 wherein the base plate has an upper edgeand a lower edge, and wherein the upper edge is sculpted to have a baseplate horizontal depression sandwiched between a pair of base plateraised portions, each base plate raised portion being adapted to nestwithin one of the connection member indentations.
 24. The hangercombination of claim 17 wherein the base plate defines a centralelongate aperture.